Pendragon Comics - The Pendragons

The Pendragons

Issue # 66

Brought together in defense of Avalon and the British Isles, the Pendragons are the officially-sanctioned heroes of Great Britain. Originally led by the Black Knight, the group is composed of surviving members of the old Knights of Pendragon group, as well as several other heroes. Willing to die for their beliefs, the Pendragons stand united as Britain's best defense against threats of a superhuman nature.

Special "Silver Anniversary" Pendragons logo created by Kell Carpenter, inspired by the logo created by Des Davies!

Pendragons Roll-Call: Captain Britain (leader), Nocturne, Union Jack, Spitfire, Micromax and Red Sonja.

Written by Barry Reese

What Has Come Before: It began months ago, when Andreas Strucker attempted to resurrect his deceased twin, Andrea. Working in concert with the evil Nekros, Andreas attempted to harness the celestial power of the Phoenix Force. The scheme failed, costing the life of Nekros and totally destroying Andrea's earthly remains. The Phoenix Force found a new home in the form of the Pendragon Molly Fitzgerald, transforming her from Shamrock into the Celtic Phoenix. Molly's romance with teammate Bruce Banner led them to leave the team and settle in Leeds. Unfortunately, a series of events has put their happiness on hold: Andreas and his personal assassin, the Rook, have begun a campaign of revenge against Molly; the Lord of the Lake (Dane Whitman) accidentally stripped the Hulk of the Banner intellect; an insane future version of former Pendragon Shevaun Haldane has come to our time, intent on preventing her future from coming to fruition -- whether that means to slaying her friends or not; and the Phoenix Force has now led Molly and another claimant to its power, Rachel Summers, into conflict. To make matters worse, the Hulk has manifested yet another personality, one whose ultimate fate has yet to be determined....

Note: Some of the above references events that have been occurring in the ongoing Hulk series. This issue is also set after Tales of the Pendragons 20-22.

Dark Angel hovered above Lyonesse, staring down at the place she'd once called home. In a future time, one that she hoped would never come to pass, Lyonesse had become a monument to dreams long lost... to men and women who'd strived for purity, but found only remorse and failure. She couldn't even look at the island without picturing Betsy Braddock, however. The woman who'd become Captain Britain had led the Pendragons through so very much... but when Molly Fitzgerald's control over the Phoenix Force had begun to weaken, it had been Betsy's pride that had led to the failure of all.

An incoming transmission caused Shevaun to break from her reverie. It was a signal sent from Darkmoor and she knew who was on the other side even before she intercepted it. She used the powers at her disposal to mimic the voice of Gulliver Jones, the holographic being who typically answered incoming calls. "Yes?"

Joey Chapman's voice sounded strained, but self-assured. It brought back so many memories for Shevaun... of battles fought at his side, and of pints shared, as well. "Something's gone crazy, mate. The weather's spotty and Adam just came face-to-face with Shevaun. Only she's lost the plot entirely. You better warn Betsy and the others."

"Unless Betsy says she needs us. We're going to try and revive Ghost Rider -- believe it or not, he's here. With none other than Blackheart. The bastard who brought the Barrier up in the first place."

"Amazing. Give him a good thrashing for me, won't you?" Shevaun severed the connection, allowing her voice to settle back into its normal rhythm. "If everything goes according to plan, Joey, you and Jackie will have many more years together. You might hate me for a little awhile, but in the end... I'll have saved you all."

Rachel Summers felt like she was falling through space. Her mind was a vast void, empty of anything save pain and regret. She remembered that she'd been fighting that woman... Molly... who had usurped the Phoenix Force. There had been madness in Molly's eyes and an obvious desire for violence -- a desire that had been unexpectedly matched in Rachel's own soul. The Phoenix Force wanted us to fight. It wants to find out which is the stronger host.

Rachel felt her falling come to an end and she found herself in a room that was all too familiar. It was the small, dingy apartment she'd once shared with Franklin Richards, before she'd fled into the past. "What's going on?"

A tall redhaired woman with a deeply lined face appeared before her and Rachel felt a cold sense of recognition. It was her, only much older. "I pulled you here, but you won't be safe for long. Molly's going to pull you back into the battle." The older Rachel smiled sadly. "You look so young. Hard to remember ever being as innocent as you."

Rachel sneered at the older version of herself. "Maybe you're not me, after all. I'm anything but innocent."

"You think all the horrors you've seen have prepared you for anything, don't you? I know you do. You're me. But there's a whole world of hurt still out there. I tried to warn Betsy*, but I didn't anticipate Shevaun making so many changes. She's going to weaken this timeline so much that it's irreparable."

Where I come from, Molly allied herself with the Leader in order to find Bruce Banner. One thing led to another and she ended up losing control over her power. Betsy stepped in, 'fixed' her, and all seemed well. But it wasn't. The Phoenix Force inside Molly is directly related to the spirit of the cosmos itself -- and it's insane. It has been ever since Jim Jaspers seized control over the universe*. As the Phoenix Force slowly went mad, so did Shevaun Haldane -- Dark Angel wears a portion of the Fabric of the Universe. When Molly lost control over the Phoenix again, the blocks that Betsy put in place failed. Dark Angel and the Phoenix warred against each other, on a scale never seen before. Millions died and each blamed the other for it. Shevaun also thinks that Betsy screwed up when placing the blocks, that she helped cause it all -- but that's only because she doesn't want to face her own guilt."

Rachel hesitated. She didn't doubt the other woman's words -- on some primal level, she knew that they were truth. But she was frightened of what it all might mean. "If the Phoenix Force is insane... Wouldn't I be at risk if I took it from Molly?"

"She thinks she's saving the world by eliminating the threat of the Phoenix. But even if she kills Betsy, even if she kills Molly, that doesn't undo the real threat."

"Right." The older Rachel looked around, noticing that the 'room' had begun to shimmer and fade. "Molly's about to pull you back. We need to get you off the Astral Plane and back someplace where the Pendragons can help."

"And how are you going to do--" Rachel's words were lost in a flurry of psychic energy. She felt her older self 'pushing' her with all the telepathic strength she could muster. Rachel's psychic self fell back to Earth, landing squarely in the physical body she'd left behind. But the journey didn't end there, for Rachel heard the sudden rush of wings and the hooting of owls. Her vision was obscured by a seeming horde of birds, all flying madly about inside her flat.

When the birds began to pull away, flying higher and higher, Rachel realized that she was no longer in her home. She was in a clearing of sorts, encircled by trees -- trees filled on every branch with the wise old owls. A tiny, hand-painted sign lay on the edge of the clearing. It was charming in its simplicity, baffling in its meaning:

The Hulk stood before them, radiating a darkly mystical quality that was unnerving. He was roughly proportioned like the Professor, but there was none of the kind strength that was usually associated with that incarnation. This was more like tightly reigned-in anger, which was close to exploding free. "What's the matter?" he asked, chuckling. "Cat got your tongue?"

Micromax turned to face Red Sonja, seeing confusion written on her beautiful features. Despite the horror of the current situation, he couldn't help but notice that while both Sonja and her host, Mary Jane, were gorgeous, he much preferred Sonja. There was something fiercely feminine about her, like a filly who would never be broken. "Be ready, Sonja. If he's gone nuts on us, we're buggered six ways to Sunday."

Sonja frowned at his words, not fully understanding them, but she nodded coldly. "I've faced giants before, Scott... but in truth, none have boasted his level of strength. If mine sword weren't enchanted, it would have shattered against his skin."

"My fist nearly did, too." Micromax shrank down to a height of a few inches, leaping upwards to land on Sonja's shoulder. "Hope you don't mind if I hitch a ride. If a fight breaks out, I might do more good underfoot than I did rushing at him full tilt."

Sonja merely grunted, but Scott felt her stiffen a bit when he touched her. He knew, on some primal level, that she had some sort of issue with men in general, but he didn't know the details and wasn't planning to press. Still, there was something about her mixture of strength and vulnerability that reminded him a lot of Breeze.

"Are you feeling okay, Dr. Banner?" Nocturne stepped towards the Hulk cautiously, trying but failing to gain insight using his Looking Glass.

The Hulk grinned more broadly, displaying canines that seemed more elongated than normal. "The doc's doing fine, Gray. No worries there." He stepped over to Captain Britain and Dane Whitman, knowing that both were very concerned by his current personality. "Don't try peeking in my head, Betsy. You can't. But I guess you've figured that out, huh?"

"We need to focus on Molly," Dane replied. He couldn't help but feel out of place in this group. They weren't his Pendragons, in truth, and the ones that he had touched had gone terribly wrong -- like the Hulk. It's a good thing I've drafted my own group*, he mused. I need someone I can trust. Completely.

Captain Britain picked up on Dane's words, saying "I was hoping that your emotional connection might allow us to track her, Bruce. Do you--"

The Hulk smiled, holding up a hand to stop her. "No need for all that." He closed his eyes tightly, inhaling noisily. "She's heading to Lyonesse. Rachel Summers is already there... and a couple of blokes are trailing behind. Nathaniel Caine and Samuel Sterns. Catalyst & the Leader."

"Magic." The Hulk waved a hand through the air, laughing. "Now, you want me to do another trick or are we going to go rescue my girl?"

Betsy didn't know what to say at first -- this was obviously a completely new incarnation of the Hulk... and she couldn't help but wonder how Molly was going to react to it. I have a feeling that something awful's about to occur, she realized. But we have to do what we have to do. The future Shevaun's right about that, at least.

"When can we start?" Andreas nervously paced through the room, rubbing at his nostrils. Flaky white crystals clung there, giving evidence to one of his many pastimes.

"Soon, m'lord. I'm not experienced at this. We must proceed with caution." The Rook had Paddy Fitzgerald's skull resting on the table before him and a necromantic text spread open as well. It had been among Nekros's belongings when the old man had been in Strucker's service and the Rook had finally mastered it after many long weeks. "With luck, we'll be able to strike out at Ms. Fitzgerald."

"I want to do more than strike at her," Andreas snapped. "I want her to feel what I've felt." He stopped in place, staring at the ceiling. "I miss her more than you can know. We weren't just brother and sister... Andrea was my soul mate, my lover. There's no other woman like her in the world."

The Rook smiled at his master's words, having heard them many times before. "Callus nostrum resurrecties dreslinski!" he whispered, feeling the power of the ancient words. He saw tiny pinpricks of love sprout to life in the empty eyesockets of the skull and every hair on his body seemed to stand on end. "Success, m'lord."

Molly Fitzgerald streaked across the sky, the flaming form of the Phoenix all around her. She saw Rachel standing in the center of the Cathedral, the semi-sacred area of Lyonesse. Like all the Pendragons, Molly had come here many times, enjoying the tranquility... but she had only rage and vengeance in mind now. This girl, Rachel, was stealing her power -- and without her full power, she'd never be able to help Bruce. "The sooner I end this, the sooner I'll find you," she promised, thinking of the man that she loved.

Rachel saw Molly approaching and instinctively tapped into the Phoenix Force in her own soul... but quickly stopped her actions. She wouldn't feed this monster anymore... not even if she did want to follow in her mother's footsteps.

Molly began to lash out at her foe, but stopped. The girl was just standing there... "Defend yourself!" she bellowed, and her voice was heard from end of the Barrier to the other.

"No. I'm not. Look, if you calm down and look inside yourself... you'll realize that what I'm about to say is true. The Phoenix Force is corrupt. Something's poisoning it." She projected the conversation she'd had with her own future self, directly into Molly's mind.

Molly hung there in the air, feeling the Phoenix Force churning within her. It was hungry... and desperate. "The Barrier's made it worse. The magic is conflicting with it."

"I think you're right. The best thing that could have happened to Dark Angel was getting trapped outside the Barrier*."

Molly landed near Rachel, looking frightened and scared. "My god. I almost lost control, didn't I?"

"It's inevitable," someone said. Both women looked up to see Dark Angel hovering above -- the maddened version from a future time and place. "I'm sorry, Molly. But for the good of everyone, it ends now."

Dark Angel channeled the power of the Fabric of the Universe and attacked both women. They reacted without thought, working in concert to defend with the Phoenix Force. A barrier of pure power surrounded them, blocking Shevaun's attack. The island rumbled in response, all of creation threatening to tear apart at the seams.

It was at this point that the Pendragons and the Hulk emerged into the center of the Cathedral. They shielded their eyes from the lightshow about them, each of them understanding immediately that some sort of feedback loop had been created. Within the Phoenix Force, two women were locked together, an ancient force rising up within them. Above, Dark Angel was lost in her own web of energy, as well. Neither side could weaken or they would be destroyed.

"Gray! We've got to do something!" Captain Britain left the ground, activating her force field. "I want the Hulk to dive for Molly when I give the word -- you and Sonja go for Rachel. Micromax: be ready to go after Shevaun if this fails."

"If what fails?" Scott yelled, though his words were mainly lost in the roar of energy about them all.

Gray Poldark screamed his lover's name as Captain Britain flew forward. She meant to interject herself between Dark Angel and the women below, breaking their connection long enough for the other Pendragons to save their friends. It was risky, for not even the magical energy of Otherworld could stand between both the Phoenix Force and the Fabric of the Universe... but she was a hero, true and true. Despite her anger at Gray for not trusting her, she loved him. She loved them all -- and most of all, she loved the Pendragons. What they stood for and what they had allowed her to become.

She flew directly into the path of the beams just as Molly Fitzgerald felt her mind explode. Many miles away, two men she'd never even met were smashing her brother's skull to pieces. Magic tied her to her family's bones and the Phoenix Force raged out of control now, threatening to envelop both she and Rachel forever.

That surge of energy exploded around Betsy and the future Shevaun Haldane, tossing enough power to destroy an entire world at the two of them. Betsy felt her forcefield shatter, just as Shevaun realized that not even her power -- and that she'd stolen from Ghost Rider and Blackheart -- was going to be enough. Dark Angel exploded into a shower of flesh and gore, while Betsy Braddock experienced the power of Creation itself. It was a brief contact with the divine and it was far too much for her mind to bear... but in that moment, she saw something incredible. "The Barrier," she whispered. "I know how to bring down the Barrier."

"I don't understand why you can't cure her." Gray Poldark knelt beside Betsy's bed, his voice shaking. He'd never felt pain like this. It was so horrible to ache for someone else and be helpless to stop their hurt.

Wynter was quiet for a long moment. The enigmatic mage had been a founding member of this incarnation of the Pendragons and he'd fought at Betsy Braddock's side numerous times. He was one of the foremost mages in all the multiverse... but he, too, was helpless. "Her mind is locked within itself. Only time can cure that -- not all the power I have can change that. You must remember how lucky she is. If the battle had not taken place in the Cathedral -- where the strength of the Pendragons is so very strong -- she would have been destroyed as utterly as Shevaun."

"I would suggest trying her brother next. His powers are great." Wynter placed a hand on Nocturne's shoulder before turning away. He still had to check on Molly and Rachel, both of whom were injured... and neither of which seemed to possess a shred of Phoenix Force any longer. And there was still the strangeness of the new Hulk.

He stepped into the hallway, where Spitfire was waiting for him. She looked worried. "Any change?"

"None," he answered. "I'd suggest removing Gray from active service for a time, however. He's going to take Betsy back to Braddock Manor -- and then, perhaps, to Otherworld."

"It makes perfect sense. You are respected by all -- and your experience dwarfs almost everyone else's."

"You'll do fine." Wynter moved away from her, staring out at the sky through the passing windows. Far off in the distance, he thought he saw the silhouette of a great bird. It was gone in an instant, however, leaving behind only questions... and heroes.

There you go. The storyline's over. Next issue we sort out who stays, who goes and the book moves in a more militaristic direction. What does that mean? Stay tuned.

As for Betsy, I agonized over this issue for quite awhile. She's been in the book ever since issue # 6 and has been the leader since # 19 -- but it was time for a bit of a change and having Jackie in charge will do that.